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It
seems like I'm always rifling through my reference books to check whether
a compound is open, hyphenated, or solid in a particular style. "Movie goer,"
"movie-goer," or "moviegoer"? There is no consistency, no
logic apparent to the naked mind . . . or is there?

No.
No, there isn't. Not much. Sorry for getting your hopes up. Where a compound
term falls in its journey toward becoming one word is arbitrary with a capital
F-U.

In
this post, I will discuss compound terms ending with a preposition or adverb (e.g., -in/-out, -up/-down, -on/-off, -over) and, of course, which version The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style prefer. If you love lists, I'm sharing one
which was compiled in a so-far-successful bid to avoid organ herniation from hoisting
those heavy books. In short, I will run down my run-down rundown. (Note to self: Raise standard for items on my "Things to Say" bucket list.)

Looking
for Patterns

First,
I analyzed this list of compound nouns and compound adjectives (aka phrasal
adjectives and compound modifiers) for logical patterns. For example, if the
first element ends in a vowel and the second element begins with a vowel, are
they always joined by a hyphen to keep the vowels separate and the compound
readable? Then, I had a gluten-free cookie and watched some TV. Really, there
is no logic. "Drive-in" and "trade-off" . . . but "lineup"
and "takeover." See?

Chalk
it up to popular whim. According to CMOS
(7.79), "With frequent use, open or hyphenated compounds tend to become
closed ('on line' to 'on-line' to 'online'). Chicago's general adherence to Webster's does not preclude occasional exceptions when the closed
spellings have become widely preferred by writers (e.g., 'website') and pronunciation and readability are not at stake."

According to the AP stylebook ("hyphen" entry), "Use of the hyphen is far
from standardized. It is optional in most cases, a matter of taste, judgment
and style sense."

And then they both go on and on about how to wield a
hyphen. Let me break it down for you . . .

Reference
Preference

Look words up in the following order. (Online dictionaries are listed at the end of the post.)

Webster's New World College Dictionary:
Use the first spelling if more than one spelling is listed in the same entry.
Use the spelling in the entry with a full definition if there is more than one
entry. (See "dictionaries" entry.)

If an example or analogy cannot be found in the above, hyphenate sparingly and
only to enhance readability (7.85).

Special
Notes:

TheChicago Manual of Style is not set up like TheAssociated Press
Stylebook, meaning that it does not contain, as AP puts it in its table of
contents, "an A to Z listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation,
spelling, numerals and usage." But you knew that.

The
Chicago Manual of Style Online's"Forum"
and "Chicago Style Q&A" may use spellings which differ from those
on my chart, but their authority does not override the sources prescribed in CMOS.

Extra
Credit: Stress Patterns in Pronunciation

Often,
you can identify a compound noun (ending with a preposition or adverb) from its non-compound
form (usually verb but not always) by the way the first element is stressed.
You can hear the equal stress on the words "make up" in "Let's
kiss and make up." Compare this to the heavier stress on "make"
when you say "Let's kiss and share makeup."

More
examples of stress on the first part of a compound noun (also examples of a
stressful weekend): "meltdown," "blackout," "hangover." Exception: "time-out" (equal
stress on both elements).

Examples
of equal stress on both elements of a phrasal adjective: "far-off," "washed-up," "worn-out." Exception: "wake-up" (stress
on first element).

I
try to stick to style and avoid talking straight-up grammar because there are
so many blogs out there for that—plus I might make stuff up, like "Nounify
the verbular gerundity"—but, yes, use two words when any of these play the
part of a phrase consisting of a verb, noun, adjective, or participle plus a
preposition or adverb. Crap, I just lost 95 percent of my readers.

I
had a meltdown when I watched the ice cream melt down my arm.

I black out when there is a blackout.

I
felt a black cloud hang over me while
I had a hangover.

I
took some time out for a timeout.

Using This Compounds List

Deviations by the AP stylebook from its official dictionary, Webster's New World College Dictionary, have been noted in the "Notes and Exceptions" column.

The words in the "AP Style" column can be found in the AP stylebook under those word entries in the "Stylebook" section unless indicated otherwise in the "Notes and Exceptions" column.

Most of the compound terms are nouns and adjectives; exceptions have been indicated.

It's interesting to note that both Chicago and AP useWebster's Third New International Dictionaryas a secondary source, after their dictionaries of choice. It retails for $129, but it's $75 on Amazon. Knock yourself out.